Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an electrical connector assembly having a receptacle connector mateable with a header connector, and more particularly, to apparatus for stabilizing and securing signal modules within an electrical connector assembly.
It is common, in the electronics industry, to use right angled connectors for electrical connection between two printed circuit boards or between a printed circuit board and conducting wires. The right angled connector typically has a large plurality of pin receiving terminals and, at right angles thereto, pins (for example compliant pins) that make electrical contact with a printed circuit board. Post headers on another printed circuit board or a post header connector can thus be plugged into the pin receiving terminals making electrical contact there between. Because of industry demand for high frequency of signal transmission in a relatively small envelope, electrical connectors typically include several signal pathways in relatively small space. The signal pathways may or may not be grouped into several signal modules. Signal modules are typically thin and stacked side by side into electrical connectors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,017 teaches a right angle electrical connector including a series of contact pins configured to be engaged with a printed circuit board (PCB) or a mating connector. The right angle electrical connector is designed to receive a support member. The support member has a comb-like structure that contains grooves for receiving portions of the pins. The grooves of the support member secure the pins in place to prevent the pins from moving during engagement with a PCB or mating connector. Movement of the pins during engagement with a PCB or mating connector can cause misalignment with vias on a PCB or sockets on a mating connector causing damage to the pins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,515 teaches a surface mount electrical connector that includes closely packed contact configured to mate with a PCB. The surface mount electrical connector is designed to receive a support member. The support member has a comb-like structure that includes grooves for receiving portions of the pins. The grooves of the support member secure the pins in place during mating with a PCB. The support member facilitates the soldering of the closely packed pins to closely packed traces on the PCB and allows a better inspection of the resulting solder connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,912 teaches an electrical connector coupled with a tail-aligning device. The tail aligning-device has a matrix of holes for receiving pins or tail portions of contacts that are housed in the electrical connector. When the tail-aligning device is coupled to the electrical connector, the holes retain the pins in the proper alignment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,688,129 teaches an electrical connector coupled with a lead positioning comb. The lead positioning comb has grooves for receiving pins or terminal leads of contacts that are housed in the electrical connector. The electrical connector is configured to be mounted onto a PCB, and the pins are configured to penetrate corresponding vias in a PCB. When the lead positioning comb is engaged with the electrical connector, the grooves hold the pins in the proper alignment for mounting onto a PCB.
However, a disadvantage of the above mentioned devices for properly aligning pins extending from electrical connectors is that the devices require a groove and/or hole for each pin. Because of industry demand for higher frequency signal transmission in smaller envelopes, electrical connectors typically include a great number of precisely arranged and closely packed pins. Accordingly, the devices require a correspondingly large number of precisely arranged and closely packed grooves and/or holes for receiving the pins. As electrical connectors employ increasingly larger numbers of closely packed pins, the devices must similarly employ increasingly larger numbers of grooves and/or holes. Increasing the number of grooves and/or holes increases the complexity of the devices, which, in turn, increases manufacturing costs.
A need remains for an improved device for stabilizing pins of an electrical connector.
An embodiment of the present invention provides an electrical connector with a plurality of signal modules stacked therein. Ground shields are interleaved between adjacent signal modules. The signal modules include signal traces arranged in differential pairs and mating faces configured to join a mating connector and a PCB. Optionally, the signal traces need not be arranged in differential pairs. The signal modules include a notch formed in at least one edge. The notches align with one another to form a channel that receives a cross-link that reduces relative movement between signal modules. The cross-link may be positioned on the rear edges of the signal modules, or optionally, the cross-link may be positioned elsewhere on the signal modules. The electrical connector may include one or more cross-links.
The cross-link may be a flat bar having a series of cutouts that are slidably received by the signal modules. Optionally, the cross-link may include reinforcement spacers or spacer projections that separate the cutouts from one another and that are inserted between and against the signal modules. Optionally, the cross-link may include facing ribs on opposite sides of the cutouts and/or extending from opposite sides, of the spacer projections for frictionally engaging the signal modules.
Optionally, the ground shields may include edges having notches formed therein that align with the notches in the signal modules to form a channel that receives the cross-link. The cross-link may be made of a conductive material and engage the ground shields, thereby electrically interconnecting the ground shields.